Next year we are thinking of driving over from UK as we are here for 3 months and instead of using the Pireaus to Souda ferry we though we would try the ferry to Kissamos as we found Athens a bit of a nightmare. Has anyone tried the Kissamos ferry and know what the road is like from Patras to Kalamata? thanks

I'm not sure if that ferry is still operating. If you put the origin and destination into GTP Ferry Schedules it recognises the ports but doesn't find any schedules. I could be wrong. It was never a very regular service and I'm told the boat was a bit of a rust bucket.

Hi anyone heard any more rumour about if and when this service may start up again . Just considering all the options when we are thinking about driving over next year and was thinking may be a better drive from Patras there with a car and trailer rather than getting to Pireaus ?

1 Patras to Gytheio is a longer drive, both in distance and time, than Patras to Piraeus on significantly worse roads.2 The ferries from Ancona, Bari and Brindisi all arrive in Patras in the early afternoon leaving time to drive to Piraeus, should be no more than 3 hours, and catch a ferry from Piraeus to Chania or Heraklion the same evening while if you go to Gytheio you need an overnight stay.3 Ferries from Piraeus are everyday whereas from Gytheio there is only one per week. Could be important if a ferry is cancelled for bad weather.4 You have a choice of ferries from Piraeus but only one from Gytheio.5 If you use the same line, i.e. Minoan or Anek/Superfast for both crossings you get a discount on the Crete tickets.

Thanks for all the info and advice and will put that in the mix of my decision making and probably will need to go to Pireaus . The cunning plan is when we move over in September we will drive over as have two dogs . Now originally was going to bring our small trailer and basically build a plywood box on it . Have already got our car set up as a micro camper so the intention is to use that to sleep in en route . But someone has given me a 12 foot caravan free and looking at the ferries cost is as cheap to tow that as my small trailer and will strip out and bring more stuff out then just scrap the van on arrival . We were looking at looking at Venice to Patras ferry rather than Ancona but didn't fancy Athens with a Caravan but if the other route doesn't fit well needs must . So how easy it to find the correct dock at Pireaus ?

Pretty easy. Follow signs to the port. As you get closer you will start to see signs showing which gate to use for different destinations. I don't know if it has changed, I haven't used the port since 2010, but it used to be Gate E3 for Crete ferries. You normally hit the port on a road that runs east-west along the northern side of the port. Turn right onto that road and Gate E3 is at some traffic lights at the western end of that road. If you arrive at a time well away from sailing time Gate E3 may be closed. If that is the case follow the road round to the left along the west side of the port. It is a dual carriageway that dips under an underpass after about 500 m. Take the right hand slip road about 100 m before the underpass and it will take you up to a big roundabout above the underpass. There you should be able to get in through Gate E2 that is usually open. You can then drive back along the side of the dock to the waiting area for whichever ferry you are catching.

Whenever I've used the ferry on return to Crete I've arrived at the dock between about 16:00 and 17:30. On each occasion I've been able to drive onto the ferry and stay aboard until departure time. There's always been at least one cafe/bar open. It could have changed as my last trip was a year before Warwick's.

I think getting on early is still the case, at least on the Piraeus - Chania route, but the time does vary. I don't think it is a fixed time but is at the discretion of the captain. It is worth noting that this is possible because the ship docks around 6 am and stays in dock all day until it departs at 9 pm. There is a period of around 6 weeks in July and August, however, when they run two sailings per day and then there is a fairly fast change round so early boarding is not an option.

As ever thanks for the excellent advice and guidance , going to be an interesting journey doing it for the first time sounds relatively straightforward in theory ! lol We will see life is all about new experiences . We are looking to travel in September so looks like we should avoid that peak summer period when everyone is on the move so that will hopefully mean the ferry will be once a day and can just get on early as you said and then relax .

It's worth eating in the service restaurant rather than in the self-service one. Basically it is the same food from the same kitchen but a lot nicer atmosphere and only a couple of Euro more. It tends to open immediately after the boat sails and doesn't stay open very long so get there on time. The various bars, which also sell snacks, are open pretty much all night I think. Some of the lounges are supposed to be only for people who have a cabin. It's also often entertaining to stand on deck at the back of the boat just before it sails. There's the inevitable last minute rushes with vehicles arriving with seconds to spare and their drivers running back and forth to the ticket office weaving in and out of the trucks being backed on. Often a taxi will come speeding down the dock with its horn blaring as the ferry pulls away from the dock. One of life's spectacles.